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State lawmaker's office provides controversial form to Islamic school students

Oklahoma state Rep. John Bennett's office distributed the questionnaire this past week

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Updated: 6:19 PM EST Mar 4, 2017

State lawmaker's office provides controversial form to Islamic school students

Oklahoma state Rep. John Bennett's office distributed the questionnaire this past week

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Updated: 6:19 PM EST Mar 4, 2017

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WEBVTT AT THE STATE CAPITAL.STEVE: AND WE TALKED TO THESTATE REPRESENTATIVE AT THECENTER OF IT ALL.HERE'S MECCA RAYNE WITH MORE.>> IT'S NOT HATE.IT'S THE TRUTH.EVERY ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS ONTHERE, I'VE ALREADY FOUND THEANSWERS FOAND THEY ARE IN THE ISLAMICDOCTRINE.MECCA: THIS IS IT.THE QUESTIONNAIRE GIVEN OUT TOMUSLIMS WHO STOPPED BY STATEREP. JON BENNETT'S OFFICE ONTHURSDAY.IN IT, THIS QUESTION -- THEKORAN, THE SUNNA OF MOHAMMED ANDSHARIA LAW OF ALL SCHOOLS SAYTHAT THE HUSBAND CAN BEAT HISWIFE.DO YOU BEAT YOUR WIFE?QUESTIONS THE REP SAYS SHOULDINSPIRE THOUGHT ANDCONVERSATION, EVEN IF SOME FINDIT OFFENSIVE.>> I WANT THEM TO KNOW THISSTUFF BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT KNOWIT AND IF THEY DO, THEN THEY'COMPLICIT AND PART OF THEPROBLEM, TOO.>> BUT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OFCOUNSEL ON AMERICAN ISLAMICRELATIONS SAYS IT IS COMPLETELYFALSE AND CONSIDERS IT HATESPEECH.>> THAT IS COMPLETELY FALSE.NOBODY SHOULD BE VETTED WITHSTUPID, ISLAMIC PHOBIC, BIGOTEDQUESTIONS BEFORE THAT CAN MEETWITH A REPRESENTATIVE.MECCA: REPORTS HAVE SURFACEDTHAT THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS GIVENTO CHILDREN, BUT BENNETT SAYSTHAT'S NOT TRUE.HE SAYS HE LEFT THEM FOR HISASSISTANT TO GIVE OUT TO ADULTSDURING MUSLIM DAY AT THE

State lawmaker's office provides controversial form to Islamic school students

Oklahoma state Rep. John Bennett's office distributed the questionnaire this past week

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Updated: 6:19 PM EST Mar 4, 2017

TULSA, Okla. (AP) —

An Oklahoma lawmaker who once likened Islam to cancer required Muslims to answer several written questions — including, "Do you beat your wife?" — before agreeing to meet with them.

Republican state Rep. John Bennett's office distributed the questionnaire this past week as the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations organized its annual Muslim Day at the Capitol. Bennett told Muslims who wanted to see him at the Capitol to fill out the form.

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The lawmaker's office gave the list of questions to three Islamic school students who came to his office and asked to speak with him.

"(The prophet) Mohammed was a killer of pagans, Christians and Jews that did not agree with him," read one of 18 questions on the form. "Do you agree with his example?"

A representative for Bennett's office says that a questionnaire given out at the Oklahoma Capitol was meant to provoke thought and conversation.

The questionnaire drew a swift rebuke from civil rights groups and Oklahoma's Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter, which represents about 40,000 Oklahoma residents who are Muslims.

"Nobody should be vetted with stupid, Islamophobic, hateful, bigoted questions before they can meet with their representative," said Adam Soltani, the executive director of CAIR-Oklahoma.

Among other things, the form asked Muslims whether they would denounce terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. It also asked whether they believe former Muslims should be punished for leaving Islam.